Good web design needs form and function

“Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.” - Steve Jobs

While it is true, a website has to be eye-catching enough to create a good first impression; the design has to be more than aesthetically pleasing. Users need to be able to easily navigate the site and find what they are looking for.

Furthermore, visitors want to enjoy exploring your website. Look at it this way. Your website is your online store. As a business owner, it is your remit to provide your customers with a shopping experience. 

If you ask a web designer or digital marketer what the most important aspect of marketing is, most of them will answer: “user-experience.” The reason for that is because if visitors do not enjoy their visit or can’t find what they are looking for, they will leave. And they won’t come back.

What is form and function? 

Form is how your website looks. Function is how it works. Both form and function have a pivotal role to play in improving the conversions rates of your online business. 

Believe it or not, but colour, fonts and shapes have an effect on consumer decisions. Consumer psychologists have discovered the visual appearance of a website impacts on a customer's purchasing decision. 

As individuals, we all have likes and dislikes. And as you know, this includes colour and design. Leading brands have known about this for years and understand how the use of geometric shapes can communicate with the subconscious. 

As a result, the colours, fonts and shapes you use on your website should reflect the image you want your customers to perceive about your business. Give your business an identity, then factor the branding into your web design. 

Navigating a website

The hardest part of a web design is functionality – particularly now we have to create the sitemap and structure of the design for mobile devices. Navigating a website is more difficult on smaller screens, especially with limited functionality of smartphones. 

Customers have to be able to find their way around the site – easily – and the web design needs to lead buyers along with a logical purchasing path to the checkout. Given the number of websites that do not function on mobile phones, it is no surprise that 74% of consumers say they will return to a website that performs well on mobile.

The reason for that is because online consumers are more inclined to stay loyal to brands they know to provide a good user experience. And this is why digital marketers hinge so much importance on providing value to visitors.  

Functionality includes load speeds. Therefore, adding features that require a lot of code, but do not increase the value to customers is unnecessary. Regardless of how good it looks, or how much you want a particular feature, if it slows down the time it takes to load your website, that one feature will lose you more customers than it will make you sales. 

So when you consider the design of your website, have a think about how you want to customers to perceive your brand, and give your web designer the reigns to create the user experience you want your customers to have.